Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Movies and TV Shows

HAPPY TUESDAY!

Being the uber-book nerd you know me to be (and probably are yourselves), I actually don't watch too much TV. Usually, I sit down to watch specific shows I've gotten into (or decided to give a chance) then when I'm done, I pick up a book and start reading or do something else. I'm not one to sit around and flip through channels to find something to watch.

I also am not a huge fan of sitting down and dedicating 2+ hours of my life to a movie. However there are some movies I love and watch constantly when I need a pick-me-up or don't feel like doing anything else.

So being the TV/movie snob that I am, here are some of my favorite TV shows and movies:

Top 5 favorite TV shows

A Game of Thrones

I'm in the middle of reading book 3 of A Song of Ice and Fire right now but I've watched the first three seasons of the show twice and soon I'll be making my second go-around on this last season. It's definitely my favorite show on TV right now!

Pretty Little Liars

Easily my second favorite show. I've been binge watching on Netflix to catch up with the current season (I'm in the middle of season 4 so I'm almost there!). Obsessed is the only word I can think to describe how I feel about this show. Ob. Sessed.

The Bachelor/Bachelorette

By the end of every season, I'm wondering why the hell I even like this show, but I've been watching for years and I can't seem to stop. I text my friends every Monday night from 8 to 10 p.m. about this show non-stop. It's like a sickness. An addiction. The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem, right?

The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon

I LOVE JIMMY FALLON. I just had to let that be known right from the start. I can't always watch his show every night but I record every episode and usually watch a few episodes at a time. He is seriously the funniest guy on TV right now. I love him and one day I hope to marry him. Seriously.

The Walking Dead

I'm actually a bit of a latecomer to the TWD phenomenon. I just started watching this on Netflix a few months ago and I'm somewhere in the beginning of season 3, I think. I am also a little obsessed with this show, though watching too many episodes in a row usually sends me to bed with nightmares. Sacrifices and all that. I want to check out the comics, I'm really interested in that! Anyone ever read them?

Top 5 favorite movies

Deliver Us From Eva

Starring Gabrielle Union, LL Cool J, Megan Goode, etc. This is one of my favorite movies of all time. It's such a silly, stupid romantic comedy but I've watched it about a million times and I know most of the words. Also, LL Cool J. That's all.

Grease

I know almost every word to every song in this movie! It's the first movie I pick up when I'm feeling down or just blah and it always picks me right up. I mean, how can it not? Go Grease Lightning!

HP

I know, I know. Those of you who really know me are wondering how I let HP get so far down my list. Well, I of course like the books better than the movies so that's a little obvious, but I do love all of these movies (especially the first one and last one). I get into moods where all I want to do is watch HP. Thank the heavens for Harry Potter weekends on ABC Family!

A Little Princess

Love this movie! Another old favorite of mine that I love to sit down and watch for no reason.

Halloweentown

Well... make that any holiday movie. I love watching Halloween and Christmas movies especially: Halloweentown, Hocus Pocus, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, March of the Wooden Soldiers. I also really love crappy Christmas romance movies on Lifetime. Okay, so I'm not a movie connoisseur and I really like to watch awful movies - sue me.

What are your favorite TV shows and movies? Do you like more updated movies or are you like me and love watching old crappy stuff from your childhood?

Let's talk TV and movies today! :)

A.

Review: Landline by Rainbow Rowell

ISBN: 9781250049377
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover (signed by Rainbow herself!)
Series: No, Stand-Alone
Released: July 8, 2014
Goodreads  |  B&N
     SUMMARY

Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. That it’s been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply — but that almost seems besides the point now.
Maybe that was always besides the point.
Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her — Neal is always a little upset with Georgie — but she doesn’t expect to him to pack up the kids and go home without her.
When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.
That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts . . .
Is that what she’s supposed to do?
Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?

     REVIEW

Reviewing a Rainbow Rowell book seems almost pointless by now. After this fourth book, Landline, we've all kind of figured out that Rainbow can do no wrong. She's a literary genius. She writes unique yet real stories about people we come to love, and she has managed to make me feel something different for each book - Attachments: happiness, contentment; E&P: absolute devastation; Fangirl: like I'd found my soul-book. And now with Landline, it's mostly left me pensive, with a tiny bit of heartache and happiness mixed together.

I was as big of an emotional mess throughout this book as Georgie was which made it that much better for me. I felt like I understood so much of Georgie's feelings but at the same time, she taught me so much, too.

I'm getting married soon and it was a little scary thinking about being married as long as Georgie and Neal have been. Georgie says at one point during the book, "You don't know at 23." Basically saying that it's impossible to know what you're getting into, what your life/marriage is going to be like in five years, ten, fifteen. But reading this book gave me a very different perspective. Even through their struggles, I found Georgie and Neal's story (from very beginning of their relationship to the end of the book) to be beautiful and inspiring.

Most of all, what I love about Landline and all of her other books, Rainbow makes me feel like it's okay to not be perfect - physically, mentally, emotionally. I, along with the majority of the female (and some male) population, struggle with self-confidence and accepting the fact that we're not all going to be skinny and tall and blonde and beautiful. Not that those things are bad, but Rainbow's characters make me feel like I can love and be loved and do things I love and do them well without looking like what society says is perfect.

On a much less sappy note, I adore Rainbow's writing style and I LOVE all of the HP references in this book (and some of her others). I went to her book release in Manhattan on July 8 and she said that "Harry Potter made this book," referencing, I think, some inspirations and fun things she used while writing the story. Needless to say, the HP references cemented my love for Landline, as if I needed anything to cement it anyway.

RATING - ★★★★★ - Loved it!

Landline was one of my most anticipated reads this year and it didn't disappoint. Definitely one of the best books I've read so far and another fantastic novel to add to repertoire. It made me laugh and cry, but most of all it made me think and that's something I really love in a book. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

     FAVORITE QUOTES

"Pretty soon she'd have been with Neal longer than she'd been without him. She'd known herself as his wife better than she'd ever known herself as anyone else."

"She thought of all the times he'd stayed up late to help her with a script. The way he'd lived at her right hand after Alice was born (when Georgie was depressed and in pain and terrible at breastfeeding). The way he never made her feel crazy even when she was acting crazy, and never made her feel like a failure even when she was failing."

"Georgie hadn't known back the how much she was going to come to need Neal, how he was going to become like air to her. Was that codependence? Or was it just marriage?"

"'It's not like that,' Georgie said. 'You'll see. It's more like you meet someone, and you fall in love, and you hope that that person is the one - and then at some point, you have to put down your chips. You just have to make the commitment and hope that you're right.'"

Have you read Landline yet? Was it everything you ever dreamed of? 'Cause it sure was for me! I loved this book and I can't wait to talk about it with you!

A.

Release Day Blitz: More Than Forever by Jay McLean

Title: More Than Forever 

Author: Jay McLean 

Genre: New Adult

Release Date: July 12, 2014

MORE THAN FOREVER, (More) #4 

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1ryk2yu

-LUCY-

There is a love so fierce it cannot be measured. 

A heart so strong it will never slow. 

There is a promise so sure it can never lie.

He promised me that love forever.

Even when it wasn't enough.

-CAMERON-

Forever. Everlasting. Eternal.

There is no measure of time. 

No sounds of the ticking of a clock. 

Just the rising and falling of the sun.

And our own sense of forever. 

But our forever isn't always.

BUY LINKS 

Amazon US --> http://amzn.to/1zuTaEh

Amazon UK --> http://amzn.to/TYjTrR

iBooks > http://bit.ly/1qrKsUO

B&N > http://bit.ly/1qrKxrB

Kobo > http://bit.ly/1qrK8p3

READ AN EXCERPT:

Mom says that there’s absolutely no pain worse than labor. For sixteen hours, so she says, she went through absolute hell. She jokes that sometimes she wonders if it was worth it. I call bullshit. I say that nothing, absolutely nothing, can feel worse than being hit in the junk with a baseball bat. Lincoln’s eyes are huge as he grimaces. “I’m so sorry, Cam.”I’m folded over myself, too preoccupied with the ache below my stomach. Sometimes, there’s a delay with the pain. But not this time. This time it was instant. I try to speak, but nothing comes out. He looks like he wants to cry and I want to assure him that it’s all good—but I can’t. Liam, Lincoln’s twin brother, is laughing. The little punk. I’ll be sure to make him do extra shit next practice. “Cam, are you okay?”I try to straighten, but it just makes the pain worse. “Yeah, bud. I just gotta let it settle.”“I swear I didn’t see you behind me.” There’s panic clear in his voice and for a second I want to tell myself to suck it up and quit being a little bitch, but I can’t do that either. The pain’s too overwhelming. Liam’s still laughing his ass off. My eyes narrow at him and Lincoln must notice, because he turns to his brother and pushes him hard enough that he falls to the ground. That makes Liam stop. He gets up and dusts the dirt of his uniform. “We should go, Linc, we’re the last ones here.”Lincoln looks around. So do I. Liam’s right, everyone’s gone.“I’m just gonna help Cam pack up,” Lincoln replies, picking up the team equipment bag and chucking in the helmets and bats sitting by my feet. He looks up at me again, and I can see how sorry he really is.Standing to full height, I do my best to ignore the pain. “It’s okay, Linc. Seriously, it’s passed now.” It hasn’t, but he doesn’t need to know that. He finishes packing anyway and hands me the bag, it’s bigger than he is.I take it from his hands and look around again. “Your mom or dad late to pick you up?”“Nah,” Liam says, the laughter and amusement now gone. “Lucy’s here.”“Lucy?”“Our sister,” Lincoln explains.They both turn to the bleachers and so do I. A lone girl sits at the bottom bench. Something flat, black and rectangular in her hand, kinda like a tablet, I guess. Her foot’s rocking a stroller back and forth. It strikes me as strange, because the girl looks familiar. She’s in my class, I think. She’s a freshman and she has a baby? Stuff like that doesn’t happen in our town and if it did, I’d know. Everyone would know.“Lucy!” Liam shouts.She doesn’t look up.“Lucy!” Lincoln this time.She still doesn’t look up, but her foot continues to rock the stroller.“Luce!” Liam yells again.Nothing.My eyes narrow before looking down at the boys. “Is your sister…uh…hearing impaired?”They both let out simultaneous snorts. “No,” Lincoln answers, pulling his cap further down his head and looking up at me. His eyes roll as he says, “She’s just reading.”

The More Series 

More Than This, #1

*Mikayla* 

In one night my fairytale ended. Or it may have begun. This is my story of friendship and love, heartbreak and desire, and the strength to show weakness. 

*Jake*
One night I met a girl. A sad and broken girl, but one more beautiful than any other. She laughed through her sadness, while I loved through her heartbreak. 

*This is our story of a maybe ever after.* 

He was right. It made no difference whether it was 6 months or 6 years.
I couldn’t undo what had been done. I couldn’t change the future.
I couldn’t even predict it.
It was one night.
One night when everything changed.
It was so much more than just the betrayal.
It was the Tragedy. 

The Deaths.

The Murders.

But it was also that feeling.

The feeling of falling.

BUY LINKS

**LIMITED TIME ON NOOK AND IBOOKS**

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1aIy8Im

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1ryjNn5

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1nVIU2j

Nook: http://bit.ly/1ryi2pZ

More Than Her, #2

For every action there is an equal or opposite reaction." For every choice you make there are rewards, or there are consequences. It was my choice to walk away the first time. And my choice to chase her the second. But sometimes you don't get a choice, and all you get are the consequences.” "Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” Unless that someone is Logan Matthews. Because loving him didn't give me the strength to walk away. It didn't give me the courage to fight for him. And when it was over, all it gave me was a broken heart. 

BUY LINKS

Amazon: http://amzn.to/17FDmnp

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1ryjQz8

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1nVIZD6

Nook: http://bit.ly/1ryikgo

More Than Him, #3

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us." - Marianne Williamson

We live in a world of darkness and shadows,

where monsters hide and aim to ruin.

And they did.

They ruined us and turned our dreams into nightmares.

But now we're back.

And we're fighting.

Not just for us, or for each other, but for our light.

BUY LINKS

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1liA53P

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1ryjUyY

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1nVJ6yC

Nook: http://bit.ly/1ryiPXW

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Jay McLean is the author of the More Series, including More Than This, More Than Her, More Than Him and soon to be released, More Than Forever. She also has two standalones coming soon titled The Road, and Combative.

Jay is an avid reader, writer, and most of all, procrastinator. When she's not doing any of those things, she can be found running after her two little boys, or devouring some tacky reality TV show. She writes what she loves to read, which are books that can make her laugh, make her smile, make her hurt, and make her feel.

You can follow Jay on Instagram and twitter @jaymcleanauthor.

You can also find her on her blog at www.jaymcleanauthor.com where you can subscribe to her newsletter and get teasers and updates first hand, her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/jaymcleanauthor or her fan group on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/moreserieslovers.

You can contact Jay directly at jay@jaymcleanauthor.com

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/jaymcleanauthor/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4724550.Jay_McLean

www.jaymcleanauthor.com

Review: The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

ISBN: 9780374384685
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Series: The Winner's Trilogy #1
Released: March, 2014
Goodreads  |  Book Depository

     SUMMARY

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love.
As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.
One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.
But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.
Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

     REVIEW

I am always a bit wary picking up a book by a new author I've never heard of, mainly one who has just published their first book and where there isn't much information from my list of trusted bloggers to go on. I know, I know, I'm one hell of a book snob, but I try my best not to be since I am also an aspiring author (oh, the irony, right?). Anyway, I finally ended up ordering this book once I started seeing some opinions and reviews (glowing ones) from people I knew and I had to see what it was all about. However, I didn't have high expectations going into it. I had no idea what I was getting into, really.

The Winner's Curse starts off rather slowly. Actually, the majority of the book happens at a nice leisurely pace. Some have thought it was too slow. I thought it was perfect. It was like a slow build to a wonderfully smart, incredibly satisfying climax. I remember realizing that The Winner's Curse had drawn me in right from page one and kept me hooked throughout, rather than it having to be something I had to get into. Rutkoski's writing is beautiful and she weaves a story about love, loyalty and morality (I love a book that makes you think past the romance) that I just didn't want to stop reading. The love story between Kestrel, the main character, and Arin, the slave, had me grinning like a fool, though, when things finally took off and I have no complaints as to how it all went down, slow or not.

I will say I was particularly pleased that while Rutkoski did leave us on a bit of a cliffhanger, she didn't end the book where I expected she would, where most books would have left off and left the rest for book two. The expected things happened then, much to my delight, Rutkoski had more to add to the story!

I especially loved when the power and the "upper hand" shifted between the characters. Once again Rutkoski went against what I assumed she was going to do with the story and I enjoyed that the love of the characters didn't just disappear (or pretend to disappear) when the circumstances changed. It wasn't an insta-love in the begining or an insta-un-love at the end and that made me really happy. I hope that made sense to someone other than me, but if it didn't, you'll understand at least that this book gave me major feels and this nonsensical review is what resulted.

I tend to like books that have a fast pace or pick up speed not far into the book but I found that the beautiful, lyrical quality of the writing and having my interest piqued by the characters and world-building right away made the pace not matter to me much at all. I found a taste for slow-building novels in The Winner's Curse thanks to the author. I can't wait to read the next in the series to learn more about Arin and Kestrel!

RATING: ★★★★ 1/2 - Loved it!

Overall, I really loved The Winner's Curse. It was slower than the typical YA novels I read but I also found it to be one of the smarter, better written, more thought-provoking YA novels I've read, too. Arin and Kestrel are a favorite romantic couple of mine and I can't wait to see where the next book in the series takes us! Have you read The Winner's Curse? What did you think?

Do you like books that have a "slow-build" quality to them or a faster-paced novel? I thought I once only like fast-paced novels but The Winner's Curse seems to have changed my mind about that a bit - or at least proven me wrong. I'd love to know what you prefer.

Let's talk books!

A.

Review: More Than Him by Jay McLean

ISBN: 9781495340604
Source: Purchased
Format: Kindle eBook
Series: More #3
Released: January 2014
Goodreads  |  Book Depository
*Please note this review may contain spoilers for the previous books in this series.*

     SUMMARY

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us." - Marianne Williamson
We live in a world of darkness and shadows,
where monsters hide and aim to ruin.
And they did.
They ruined us and turned our dreams into nightmares.
But now we're back.
And we're fighting.
Not just for us, or for each other, but for our light.

     REVIEW

There isn't much to say about this book that I haven't already said about Jay McLean's previous books in the series. They're amazing, heart-wrenching, hysterically funny... I can't think of words adequate to describe how these novels made me feel. More Than Him was very unique in that the progression of the series took a bit of an unexpected turn - something I'd never experienced in a romance series before: (highlight to read sort-of spoiler) MTHim is a continuation of Logan and Amanda's story from book 2, MTHer. Most romances generally have some sort of happy ending for every book, especially in a series. So the series as a whole kind of blew my mind in that aspect, too - McLean totally took it outside the box.

There weren't as many gasp-worthy moments in this book that broke my heart as there were in the previous book, but for me this was a good thing. There were more swoon-worthy moments in MTHim and that really made the book in my opinion. Jay McLean seriously cemented my love for Logan, the MC, in this one and there is nothing anyone (real or fictional) can say or do to change that.

One of the best parts of this book (and of the series) is that we see more hilarious friend interaction here and I can honestly say I've never laughed so hard at another book as I have over the nonsense these characters get up to. I love them, I love the romance, I love the little lessons hidden in the stories - I love these books!

RATING: ★★★★ 1/2 - Loved it!

The More series is definitely my favorite NA romance series ever. Not only was it one of the first I've ever read which basically introduced me to the genre, but every NA romance I've read since hasn't lived up to the standard. Have you read any of the books in this series yet, more specifically, MTHim? What do you think of the series as a whole, and what do think of Logan now that we've seen who he really is?

Also, be very aware that the next book, More Than Forever, is being released in less than two weeks from today - July 12, 2014. You'll see a review from me some time in July, but trust me - you won't be disappointed!

Happy Reading!
A. 

P.S. In non-More related news, I'm giving away a paperback copy of If I Stay by Gayle Forman. Giveaway ends July 7, 2014, at midnight. Enter below!

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